Marriage – A Biblical Perspective Why are so many marriages, including Christian marriages failing?
Divorce – Christians and Divorce – What God Says?
Marriage – A Biblical Perspective Why are so many marriages, including Christian marriages failing?
There is a scriptural explanation why marriages are failing… and to better understand why, we must turn our attention to the Bible. Genesis. 5:2 says, “Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.”
God created male and female with the emphasis of oneness. Notice that God created the female from Adam. There is no incident in the Bible where God created something from another creature other than Adam. This is important to understand in our role as husbands and wives. God created woman for man to remain as one. Note: God called their name: Adam (Genesis. 5:2). God never gave this first woman a name. She did not gain her name until after sin destroyed their lives. Her name was given by Adam, not God. The record bares this out (Genesis. 3:20).
Adam was in need of a help-meet. He could have functioned without her. He was already an accomplished man by virtue of God’s creative work. But God saw that it was not good for Adam to be alone (Genesis.2:18). Before the woman was made, Adam was one person. After the woman was made, Adam remained one person with two bodies. It is the neglect of this doctrine of oneness by either ignoring it or ignorance of it that explains why marriages fail.
Divorce – Permitted or Prescribed?
While divorce appears to be allowable, it is never prescribed nor encouraged in scripture. And for good reason. The damage alone from divorce is often unending. A Christian who contemplates divorce should be very careful in acting out their desire to dissolve a marriage, fully understanding the life long consequences of such an action.
God used the experience of the prophet Hosea who was married to an habitually unfaithful wife and why divorce would be detrimental for both parties. Even with full knowledge of his wife’s infidelity; Hosea waited for his wife to repent… illustrating that God was long-suffering, not willing that any should perish.
The answer to any difficulty that a marriage may be consumed by is found in and by God’s Word. Only Christ can truly empathize with the intense emotion that one experiences from the hurt realized by an un-faithful spouse. And as demonstrated in the book of Hosea, the prospect of healing and hope is very real. Healing begins and continues with meditation on God’s mercy and forgiveness.
As difficult as it is to reconcile emotionally, physically and spiritually to their spouse; if they purpose to glorify God, they will find grace and hope to reconcile (Heb 4:16). God is able.
Sincerely, Dr. Arthur Belanger
See More Bible Q & A
Recent Comments